This past Sunday, I had the honor of teaching through Acts 21:1-16. In this passage, we follow Paul as he heads to Jerusalem to face suffering and imprisonment. On the way, he visits various churches (many of them pleading with him to avoid suffering). In this message, I seek to explain the role and place of suffering in the lives of God’s people.
As always, we will be meeting this Wednesday (March 17th) at 8:30pm via Zoom to discuss this text in more detail using the question below – all are invited to join us! The connection information can be found on our website – http://www.renovationchurchsd.com
Book of Acts – Acts 21:1-16
Before working on this discussion guide, please do the following:
1. Watch the message from this past Sunday if you were unable to attend the online service. You can find the message on our Facebook Page and on our website (renovationchurchsd.com).
2. Spend 5 minutes or so in prayer. You can either pray through the “Lord’s Prayer” or simply share what is on your heart. It is also good to spend at least 1 full minute in silence so that God can quiet your heart and mind as you prepare to study the Scriptures.
Discussion Questions
1. Read slowly and prayerfully through Acts 21:1-16. What themes stand out to you? What questions do you have about this passage?
2. In Acts 21:4, the text says that “through the Spirit” the disciples urged Paul not to go to Jerusalem. Nevertheless, in Acts 20:22, Paul says that the Holy Spirit is the One leading him to Jerusalem. What’s going on? Is the Holy Spirit contradicting Himself?
3. One of the words used to describe the church in this passage is the word “disciples.” Read Luke 9:23-26 – according to Jesus, what does it mean to be one of his disciples?
4. Another description used to describe the church is that of “brothers and sisters” – in other words, the church is to be the family of God. Tyler made the following statement in the message last Sunday – the church is a family to be loved, not a commodity to be used. What’s the difference?
5. In Acts 21:9, we are introduced to Philip’s four single daughters who had the gift of prophecy. Unfortunately, the church often views single people as if there is something wrong with them. Paul refers to both marriage and singleness as gifts from God. Read 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 – what are some of the benefits of singleness highlighted in this passage? How can we better honor single people in our church?
6. Finally, what is at least one way you are seeking to apply this passage to your life this week?
Tyler Ramsbey 